Electric shade and awning control



April 12, 1932. STANDOW 1,853,704

ELECTRIC SHADE AND AWNING CONTROL Filed April 6, 1931 2 Sheets-Sheet VENTOR, am! Q md BY fin, m :21,

ATTORNEY.

April 12, 1932. M. A. STANDOW ELECTRIC SHADE AND AWNING CONTROL Filed April 6, 1931 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 A TTORNEY Patented Apr. 12, 1932 PATENT OFFICE MARK A. STANDOW, OF HARTFORD, CONNECTICUT ELECTRIC SHADE AND AWNING CONTROL Application filed April 6, 1931.

My invention relates to improvements in electric shade and awning control for use in drawing and withdrawing a shade or awning that is mounted by one end on a roller, either with or without a spring and involving the use of an electric motor and a hand operated control switch, and the object of my improve ment is to produce an electric shade and awning control in which the hand control switch is in the form of a three-position structure as to the visible handle element thereof comprising a middle position that is neutral and with all electrical connections controlled thereby interrupted and two oppositely directed end positions for movement in the one or the other direction; that operates to permit of movement for either winding or unwinding for the full range to which the device is adjusted or for part only thereof; and that provides for interrupting of the current to the motor when, the limit of movement has been reached in either direction.

In the accompanying drawingsz- Figure 1 is a front elevation of my improved shade and awning control as applied to a window-shade of generally ordinary form, including the control switch.

Fig. 2 is a fragmentary similar view of the motor and adjacent parts.

Figr 3-is an end elevation of the same as viewed from the right end.

Fig. 4 is an end elevation of the same as Viewed from the left end.

Fig. 5 is a fragmentary View of the shadesupporting bracket used at the left end.

Fig. dis a View on a further enlarged scale of the control gear and associated parts.

Fig. 7 shows the moving member of the automaticv control switch.

Fig. 8 shows the trip for operating the moving member shown in Fig. 7.

Fig. 9 is a diagrammatic perspective side view of the'control switch.

fFig. 10 is a side elevation of the base there- Fig. 11- is a top view of the base shown in Fig. 10.

Fig. 1-2 is a side elevation of the moving member of the control switch, the position of Serial No. 528,059.

the operating handle structure being indicated by broken lines.

Fig. 13 is a diagram of the electrical connections.

Fig. 1d a diagrammatic bottom end View of the electric motor.

Fig. is a front elevation on the same scale as Fig. 1 showing the motor and associated parts applied to the lower end of a spring actuated shade roller and shade through the medium of a shaft-rod applied below the Window space and operatively connected to the shade by a pair of connecting straps that roll on and oil suitable rolls or drums.

Fig. 1G is a side elevation of the same.

Fig. 17 is a fragmentary perspective View as viewed from one end of the invention applied to a window awning, an intermediate position of the prop-rod or brace being indicated by means of broken lines.

My improved shade and awning control may be applied to a shade 10 that is substantially in the form of the shades that are in common use in households or in automobiles in that it is mounted by its upper end on a roller 11 that is mounted on the window-casing 12 and at the upper end thereof. The roller 11 may or may not be equipped at the left end with a coil spring 14 for automatic winding and a flattened end pin 15 operatively connected to said spring 14 and projecting from the end of the roller 11. The flattened end of the pin 15 engages with the walls of the fiatsided slot 16 in the end bracket 17 in the usual manner. The ratchet-and-dog devices usually provided at the left end of spring. controlled rollers are omitted.

At the bottom end of the shade 10 is a hem 18 or the like that provides a housing for a weight-rod 19 that may be of su'llicient weight to draw the shade 1O downwardly in opposition to the roller-spring 14 if free to do so and which tends to position the shade towards and adjacent the window glass 20 when the shade is down.

The right end of the roller 11 is equipped with a spindle end 21 that serves as the end support and the driving means by being conpled in any proper manner with the opposed end of the terminal shaft 22 that is part of the driving structure 23.

The driving structure 23 comprises a set of gears that are driven by a motor 24 of which a gear 25 on the terminal shaft 22 mentioned is the last. The first gear 26 is a worm gear that is driven by a worm 27 on the motor shaft 28, the latter, as shown, being vertical. The worm 27 and worm gear 26 are just outside a frame plate 29. The shaft 30 for the worm gear 26 is a short shaft that extends through the plate 29 and carries a spur gear 31 on the inside end adjacent the plate.

The terminal shaft 22 is supported by the frame plate 29 and a short plate 32 that is spaced from the frame plate 29 by means of posts 33 or the like in the usual manner.

Intermediate the spur gear 31 and the terminal gear 25 is a relatively large gear 34 that completes the drive and that is utilized to serve for what may be designated as the control member or control gear, having the inside face 35 ex osed and accessible. Projecting from said ace 35 are a pair of angularly spaced posts comprising a fixed ost 36 that is so desi nated because usu-' ally it would be fixed in position. The other movable post 37 is so designated because it can be selectively positioned in one of a set of perforations 38 in the disc-like control gear 34.

Positioned Within the space 39 on the face 35 between the pins or posts 36 and 37 is a trip arm 40 that is in the path of the said posts so as to be actuated thereby. Said arm 40 serves to'provide the automatic operation of the moving member 41 of the automatic control switch 42 Operative support for the arm 40 and for the moving member 41 is provided in each case by means of a Ushaped loop-like portion that provides for spaced two-bearing support on common pivotal pins; open space being thus provided for free movement past the center for a common spring; the arm 40 projecting in the proper direction from its loop and from the loop of the switch moving member 41 there projects an arm or rod that carries a contact block 43 that makes alternately contactvvith one or the other of two fixed spring contacts 44. it

The common spring 45 mentioned operates the switch 42 by a snap movement.

As described, the trip arm 40 is virtually a part of the switch 42, and said switch is in the form of a snap switch of special form. The support therefor is provided by the plate 29 and a cooperating skeleton plate structure 46 that provide support for the two stub shafts or pins 47 in alignment. The loop 48 for the switch moving member 41, as shown in Fig. 7, has its arms hung from the pins 47 and adjacent the opposed faces of the supporting frame structure and swinging between the arms of the loop 48 are the arms 49 of the loop 50, as shown in Fig. 8, that carries the trip arm 40. The actuating spring 45 has one end attached to the bar 51 of the loop 48 and the other end to a pin 52 that projects from the opposed side face of the trip arm 40. The trip arm 40 is pushed along by the pin 36 or 37 as the case may be in opposition to the tension of the spring 45 until the past-the-center point is reached and then as the movement is continued it snaps away from the particular tripping pin with which it is engaged; this movement carries the upper end of the spring continually farther beyond the central position; this operates to provide a more positive pull through the medium of the spring 45 on the bar 51 of the switch moving member 41; thus said member 41 is swung to its next alternate position and the contact 43 breaks contact with one spring contact 44 and makes contact with the mating contact; and likewise the swinging movement of the trip arm 40 is limited on the one side or the other by one of the two cushioning springs or the like, respectively 52a shown at the left in Fig. 4 and 52?) shown at the right. During the snapping movement of the moving parts of the switch 42 described the spring 45 swings across the space between the two stub shafts 47, one of which is shown in Fig. 4. The pivotal openings for said stub shafts 47 are shown in Fig. 7 for the moving member 41 and in Fig. 8 for the loop 50.

The swinging contact 43, the supporting devices therefor and the parts closely associated therewith are all made of metal, including the frame plate 29, and are electrically grounded and are electrically connected, as shown, by means of a connecting wire 53 with a terminal 54 of one of the field coils 55 of the electric motor 24. The other terminal 56 of this same coil 55 is connected by the wire 57 with a fixed contact block designated. as 3 of a set 58 mounted in a row at one end of the base 59 of the hand switch 60.

There are five such blocks in the set 58, numbered consecutively from 1 to 5 in order at the end 61, which may be designated as the upper end. At the lower end 62 there is a similar row of contacts with the numbers running 1, 3, 2, 4, and 5 for row 63, to correspond with the cross-connecting of the first four. Thus 1 of row 58 is connected by the wire 64 to 1 of row 63; 2 of row 58 is connected by the diagonal wire 65 to 2 of row 63; 3 of row 58 is connected by the diagonal wire 66 that crosses diagonal wire 65 to 3 of row 63; and 4 is connected to 4 directly below by wire 67.

The two 5 blocks are connected respectively one to each of the spring contacts 44, by wires 68.

A central ground connection 69 extends electrically and mechanically through the base 59; is connected by grounding or through awire to one of the terminals of the battery 71.

The switch 60 comprises a metallic fixed part 72 that is incorporated in the structure of the ground 69 that is generally of channel form; that has spaced side member 7 3 with notches 74 in the top edges; and a plain bo tom 75. The moving member 76 has diminutive trunnions which engage with the notches 74 and which are provided at the ends of side arms 77 that project from the bottom 78; said bottom 78 being rounded and adapted to rock on the plain bottom and from the ends of the rounded bottom 78 project arms 79 that carry the moving parts that cooperate with the contact blocks in the rows 58 and 63. The moving member 76 itself serves as the conductor for making connection with the end blocks 5 and is itself moved by the handle 82.

More properly, the body part 80 of the moving member 76 serves as the conductor men tioned,being made of sheet metal and extending from end to end, and with a branch 81 at each end that is in registration with the opposed and adjacent blocks 5 at the lateral ends of the two rows 58 and 63. Thus when one of the ends of the moving member 76 is depressed. from the middle neutral position by the handle 82 the ground connection 69 is connectedthrough the medium of the body part 80 with one of the blocks 5 and thence by one of the connecting wires 68 to one of the spring contacts 44. Thus selective con nection is made with contact piece 43 and thence through grounding or a wire connection or both to the terminal 54 of the field coil 55.

The handle 82 is generally a rod-like structure that projects radially from its pivotal connection; that swings toward one or the other of the ends of the switch structure for operating the shade one way or the other; that occupies an intermediate position for the non operative or neutral condition; that has a ball-like enlargement at about the middle of the length that serves as a thrust bearing by being seated in an annular socket 84 in the supporting casing structure 85; that has the lower end portion 86 chambered for housing a spring plunger structure; said spring plunger structure comprising a backing spring 87 and a contact blocl: or pressure bloclr 88 of insulating material; the end face I of said pressure block 88 making forcible contact with the body part 80. Said body part 80 is made of sheet metal and is thus adapted to be rocked by its rounded middle portion 78 on the plain bottom or platform 7 5 responsive to to and fro movement of the handle 82.

The contacts other than 5 in rows 58 and 63 operate in pairs by cross-connecting adjacent members of a pair by means of a bridging piece 89 that is supported from the bony part 80 by means of an insulating block 90,

the manner of doing this and the resultant effect being generally ordinary. Two pairs are involved in each active operation; the resultant connections comprise connecting the motor brushes 91 with two field coil terminals 56 respectively; the motor brushes 91 being connected by the wires 93 with the two outside contact blocks 1 and 4; the field coil terminals 56 being connected by the wires 57 with the two intermediate contact blocks 2 and 3. The crossconnections between the cont-act blocks already described provide for reversal of the motor operation as the handle 82 is swung from one switch end to the other.

The motor has two field coils 55 and one of the terminals 54 of one of said coils is connected by the wire 94 with the battery 71.

The control switch is preferably installed in a vertical position so that the handleoperates in a vertical plane and, furthermore, so that when the handle is swung downwardly towards the lower end the shade will be moved downwardly and vice versa. Moving the handle from either of the end positions to the middle neutral position serves to stop all movement, the worm connection operating as a brake.

The braking effect of the worm operates particularly advantageous in cases in which the drive means 100, made up of the motor 101 and associated parts as already described, is located along the bottom portion 102 of the window casing 103 and is used to exert substantially a constant pulling effect on a shade 104- and in opposition to the winding tendency of a spring 105 that operates the supporting roller 106. i

The drive means 100 operates a countershaft structure 107; a pair of straps 108 are connected by their upper ends to a bar 109 orthe like that is incorporated in the lower free end of the shade 104; and said straps 108 wind on and off from drums 110 on the counter-shaft structure 107 as the latter is rotated one way or the other.

In use with an awning 111 the drive means 112 is located near the top and operates the roll 113 precisely in the same manner as in the case of the shade shown in Fig. 1, except that usually no spring would be provided within the roll. The awning would be provided at the lower free end 114 with a linklike brace 115 of the usual form that is adapted to be swung about the pivotal support 116 at the inner end as the awning 111 is moved one way or the other.

For outside use the drive means is made weatherproof in any proper manner by providing a suitable enclosing housing not shown.

I claim as my invention 1. In shade and awning control, a roller, a shade mounted thereon, an electric motor, a hand switch having a. three position setting lit) for the handle, respectively a middle neutral position and opposite end positions, circuits and connections for operatively connecting said motor and switch with a source of current supply, drive means intermediate said motor and roller, and the parts being constructed and arranged so that with said handle at one of said end positions the motor can drive the roller in one direction, with said handle at the other of said end positions the drive for the roller will be reversed, and with said handle in the neutral posit-ion all connections with the source of supply will be interrupted.

2. In shade and awning control as described in claim 1, an automatic switch having two spaced contacts that are adapted, respectively, to be energized when said handle is deflected to one or the other of said end positions, a moving contact member operating between said contacts and adapted to be connected in the line circuit, and spring operated snap means for swinging said moving contact member from one of said contacts to the other operated by said drive means.

3. In shade and awning control as described in claim 1, a snap switch structure operated by said drive means for interrupting the motor circuit.

4. In shade and awning control, a shade, a roller therefor provided with a spring that tends to wind the shade on said roller, a counter shaft provided with a plurality of drums, straps connecting said drums With the free end of said shade, and an electric motor for driving said counter shaft in opposition to said spring.

5. In shade and awning control, a shade mounted for winding and unwinding, an electric motor and circuits therefor, a hand switch in said circuits having a three position handle corresponding respectively for neutral at the middle, and at the ends for winding and unwinding.

6. In shade and awning control, an electric motor for driving the roller for a shade, an automatic switch in the circuit of said motor comprising a moving member for breaking said circuit, drive means intermediate said motor and roller comprising a rotating member, and means on said rotating member for operating said moving member for effecting such breaking of the circuit. 7

7. In shade and awning control, a roller for a shade, an electric motor for direct and reverse operation for winding and unwinding said shade on said roller, a circuit for said motor, a pair of spaced contacts for alternate use in said circuit respectively for such direct and reverse operation, a moving member for alternating contact with said contacts for effecting such alternate use, drive means intermediate said motor and roller comprising a rotating member, snap means for shifting said moving member from one of said spaced contacts to the other and comprising an operating arm, and angularly spaced lugs on said rotating member for operating said arm, one for direct and the other for reverse operation of the motor.

8. In shade and awning control, a shade supporting roller provided with an extension spindle, a spur gear on said spindle, a motor, and gearing intermediate said motor and gear for driving said roller.

9. In shade and awning control as described in claim 8, circuits for said motor and control switches therein comprising a switch that is energized during driving conditions for the motor, and one of the members of said gearing being provided with means for ole-energizing said switch.

10. In shade and awning control, a shade roller, a motor, gears intermediate said motor and roller, a circuit for said motor containing a switch that is energized under motor driving conditions, and one of said gears having means for automatically de-energizing said switch so as to interrupt such driving conditions.

11. In shade and awning control, control means for breaking an active drive circuit and making connection for reverse drive comprising a pair of spaced fixed contacts, a moving contact located between said contacts, an actuating arm, a control disc carrying tripping pins for alternate swinging of said arm, one moving member supporting said contact, a second moving member carrying said arm, and a single spring connected by its ends respectively to said moving members.

MARK A. STANDOVV. 

